THE GROWING BOLDER AWARDS LESLEY STAHL ON GRANDPARENTING
Rebranding Aging®
DIANA NYAD'S EPIC JOURNEY A NEW START FOR TONI TENNILLE
HAVING A BRASS BLAST At 81, Herb Alpert is Still an Artist Who's Always Willing to Take a Risk.
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CONTENTS SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2016
Herb Alpert reflects on his 42year partnership in love and music with his wife, Lani Hall.
FEATURE
TOP BRASS
DEPARTMENTS 5 | FROM THE EDITOR
6 | GROWING BOLDER WITH ... 7 | THE FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH Betty Lindberg, 91, races into the record books. By Marc Middleton
12 18 | GROWING BOLDER FINANCIAL INSTITUTE The real risk of outliving your money. By Jeannette Bajalia
Herb Albert says to live in the present and always take risks. BY BILL SHAFER
30 | THE TAKEAWAY Truly, madly, deeply loving grandchildren. By Lesley Stahl THE GROWING BOLDER AWARDS LESLEY STAHL ON GRANDPARENTING
®
8 | MOVE FORWARD. GIVE BACK. ® Three-time cancer survivor swims for a cause. By Marc Middleton 9 | ROAD TO RECOVERY If you want to keep moving, you have to keep moving. By Robert Masson, M.D. 10 | 5 QUESTIONS Diana Nyad’s advice for living a life without regrets. By Jackie Carlin 4 GROWING BOLDER
REBRANDING AGING®
20 | BOLDER HEALTH How opioid dependence worsened the heroin epidemic. By Jackie Carlin 24 | NEVER TOO LATE ® Why Toni Tennille had to leave the Captain to find happiness. By Bill Shafer 26 | REBRANDING AGING ™ Sela Ward is confident and courageous at 60. By Jackie Carlin 28 | SURVIVING & THRIVING ® Reggie Williams and the power of persistence. By Marc Middleton
DIANA NYAD'S EPIC JOURNEY A NEW START FOR TONI TENNILLE
HAVING A BRASS BLAST At 81, Herb Alpert is Still an Artist Who's Always Willing to Take a Risk.
ON THE COVER: Herb Alpert has not only recorded countless hit records, he's also helped launch the careers of iconic artists at A&M Records, which he co-founded. Today, Alpert continues to pursue his passions for music, painting and sculpture. Cover and Table of Contents photos by Dewey Nicks. SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2016
FROM THE EDITOR
POWER AND POSSIBILITY
Editor-in-Chief Marc Middleton Managing Editor Jackie Carlin Associate Editors Bill Shafer, Katy Widrick, Jill Middleton Contributing Writers Robert Masson, M.D. Additional Photography Ranier Hosch, Dan McCauley, Dave Lauridsen, Dewey Nicks, Louis Oberlander Digital Development and Production Jason Morrow, Pat Narciso, Josh Doolittle, Mike Nanus Director of Circulation Jill Middleton
407-406-5910 One Purlieu Place, Suite 139 Winter Park, FL 32792 GrowingBolderMagazine.com All editorial content copyright 2016 by Bolder Broadcasting Inc. Growing Bolder is a registered trademark of Bolder Broadcasting Inc. Nothing may be reprinted in part or in whole without written permission from Bolder Broadcasting Inc.
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e’re excited to announce the first annual 2016 Central Florida Growing Bolder Awards. We’re starting in Central Florida, but plan on expanding in years to come to a national event with local events in cities all over America — including yours! Why? Because corporate and private support for critical, local senior programs isn’t growing as quickly as is the need for these services. Nearly every community is experiencing an explosion in the number of older residents. Nationally, 10,000 Americans are turning 65 every single day — and many aren't prepared mentally, physically, emotionally or financially for the years ahead. It’s a potential disaster not just waiting to happen but already unfolding. The 2016 Central Florida Growing Bolder Awards are being produced with and presented by two dynamic, nonprofit agents of change — the Senior Resource Alliance and the Winter Park Health Foundation. Both are nationally known for providing lifechanging, life-sustaining programs to the communities they serve. Together, we’ll shine the spotlight on men and women who are smashing the demeaning, ageist stereotypes that conspire to make older members of our community invisible. The Growing Bolder Awards will reveal what’s possible as we age by celebrating those who continue to pursue their passions, live lives of purpose — and make a difference in the lives of others. Our hope is that when a community fully understands what’s possible as we age — when it recognizes and honors the contributions provided by older residents — it'll be harder to ignore the growing need for not only basic services but also programs for the arts, fitness and lifelong learning. It’s time for every community to appreciate its older residents; to enthusiastically build and support programs that help them live independently, age in place and find meaning, purpose and enjoyment in their later years. Not just because they need and deserve it, but because we all will one day soon. The 2016 Central Florida Growing Bolder Awards will be unlike any “senior” awards show in history: a high-powered, red carpet, rock ‘n’ roll extravaganza at Full Sail Live, the coolest, hippest venue in town. There’s information about nominating someone for an award, sponsoring an award and getting tickets to the big event on page 27. We’d love to see you there! And, who knows? Maybe next year, there will be a Growing Bolder Awards in your town, raising awareness about your local programs and local needs.
FALL 2016
Inside the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts
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Marc Middleton, Editor-in-Chief marcmiddleton@growingbolder.com GROWING BOLDER 5
GROWING BOLDER WITH
CINDY WILLIAMS
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ACTRESS
“Never give up the dream. You just keep putting one foot in front of the other. You can’t take criticism or rejection personally. When Penny Marshall and I landed Laverne & Shirley, we only planned for it to last for four episodes. I thought, ‘Well, I’ll have made my rent for the year.’ We never took ourselves too seriously, which I think was part of the success of the show because our characters never did, either. You just don’t know what’s around that next corner, but you hope it’s something great. Try to see the funny side of things, no matter what’s going on in your life. It will embolden you and make you happy.”
Cindy Williams is living proof that you never know what will happen to change your life. A guest ap pearance on the TV show Happy Days, alongside Penny Marshall, led to the pair getting their own show, Laverne & Shirley. It became an instant classic, and remains one of the most beloved sit coms in TV history. Cindy looks back on those experiences in her book, Shirley I Jest: A Storied Life.
ROBERT DRAPKIN, M.D.
70
CHAMPION BODYBUILDER
“This is the most important topic in medicine today: What do you do when you go to your family doctor and walk away with a prescription for drugs to treat conditions such as high blood pressure and high blood sugar? In my opinion, high blood pressure and Type 2 diabetes are completely curable and preventable with proper diet and exercise. But too many physicians aren’t taking the time to talk specifics with their patients. It’s not something that can be discussed in 12 minutes, which is the length of an average visit. Yes, it takes time and frequent visits to help patients eat and exercise properly — but it can be done. It will improve your memory, keep your muscles strong and improve every organ in your body.”
Robert Drapkin, M.D., is a highly respected cancer specialist, speaker, author and fitness guru for people over 50. He began lifting weights when he was in his 50s — and out of shape. Today, at 70, he’s an active, worldclass bodybuilder who recently took second place in the Masters National Bodybuilding Championship.
GILBERT GOTTFRIED
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COMEDIAN
“I don’t think anyone is ever really comfortable with their age. When you hear it as a number, it’s horrible! But I recently interviewed the famed comic Larry Storch for my podcast. He’s in his 90s, and he gets up every day and stands on his head. He asked his doctor if he should still keeping doing that. The doctor said, ‘Well, you’ve lived this long, you might as well keep doing it.’ I’ve also had Dick Van Dyke on my show. He’s in his 90s, and gets up and dances every day. These people are just as good as they ever were. And that’s something I really look up to; it gives me hope for my own future.”
Remember when an entertainer would pop up on shows like The Love Boat or Gilligan’s Island, and you thought, “Hey, I didn’t know that person was still alive!” So does comedian Gilbert Gottfried. That’s one of the reasons he launched his new podcast, Gilbert Gottfried’s Amazing Colossal Podcast, where he talks to some of his childhood heroes who are out of the spotlight but are as engaged and active as ever.
GB EXTRA Visit GrowingBolderMagazine.com to listen to our entire Growing Bolder Radio conversations with Cindy Williams, Dr. Robert Drapkin and Gilbert Gottfried.
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SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2016
FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH
Betty Lindberg, who didn't start running until she was 63, set an age-group world record at 91.
CHARGING AHEAD Betty Lindberg, 91, Races Into the Record Books. BY MARC MIDDLETON
photo by Dan McCauley
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o one was more surprised than Betty Lindberg upon learning that her time in the 800 meters at the Atlanta Track Club’s All Comers Meet was a new American and world record for the 90plus age group. “I had no idea,” the 91-year-old tells Growing Bolder. “I was stunned when the race director gave me a call the day after the race and said, ‘Betty, you set a world record.’ I didn’t know what the world record was, and certainly never thought about breaking it.” Lindberg’s reaction to the news? “Hot diggity!” Her time of 6:57.56 broke the 15-year-old world record by less than two seconds — but she broke the American record by almost two-and-a-half minutes. “I was just hoping I’d finish before they turned
GROWINGBOLDERMAGAZINE.COM
out the lights,” she said after the race. What makes Lindberg’s record so unusual is that she was a self-described “couch potato” who never even thought about running until she was 63. “My daughter and son-in-law were doing the July 4th Peachtree Road Race in Atlanta, and asked us to give them a ride to the starting line and then meet them at the finish line,” she recalls. “As I stood there and watched runners of every size, shape and age, I thought, ‘I can do that.’” So she and her husband started walking in their neighborhood. Next year, Lindberg entered her first Peachtree Road Race. This year was her 26th. Lindberg had a complete hip replacement two years ago at the age of 89, but she barely missed a beat. “Within a month of my surgery, I did a one-mile run,” she
says. “You just have to keep moving, especially after an injury or setback.” Her advice to all of the other couch potatoes out there is pretty simple: “Get moving. Start by walking just a block or two. That’s all I did. And now I hold a world record! You can get started at any age. Never say, ‘I’m too old.’ You really can do it, if you put your mind to it. I’m the proof of that.” While the health benefits of walking and running have had a major impact in Lindberg’s life, she says the social aspect has been even more important. “I get energy from being around the younger people, and I think they’re inspired to keep going when they see me,” she says. While she never aspired to become a world record holder, she’s enjoying the unexpected acclaim from all over the world. “I’m totally amazed at the reaction,” she says. “Who knew you could have this much fun at 91?”
GB EXTRA Visit GrowingBolderMagazine.com to listen to our conversation with Betty Lindberg and learn more about her world record-setting run.
GROWING BOLDER 7
MOVE FORWARD. GIVE BACK.
making a splash Three-Time Cancer Survivor Swims for a Cause. BY MARC MIDDLETON
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usan Helmrich is one of the nation’s top health and wellness coaches. She’s an epidemiologist with a master’s degree from Harvard and a Ph.D. from UC Berkley. She’s also a three-time cancer survivor who’s grateful to be alive. “I didn’t think I’d see 30, and certainly never ever expected to make it to 60,” she says. Helmrich was just 21 when she was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive cancer directly linked to her mother being prescribed DES, a synthetic hormone thought to prevent miscarriage. DES was approved by the FDA without controlled studies. And even after it was proven to be ineffective, highly toxic and carcinogenic, it was allowed to remain on the market for more than 15 years because it was a major moneymaker for more than 275 U.S. drug companies. Consequently, it became the world’s first drug disaster, with as many as 10 million
8 GROWING BOLDER
DES-exposed mothers and children in the U.S. alone. After her first illness, Helmrich had life-threatening bouts with both lung and pancreatic cancer. And although there’s no proof that her more recent malignancies are related to DES, Helmrich strongly suspects a link. “I believe something happened to my immune system or my genetic makeup when I was exposed to DES in utero,” she says. “In my heart, I believe the last two cancers are related to the first. But in my brain, I’m not so sure.” Helmrich’s constant pursuit of health and wellness has enabled her to not only bounce back from her epic battles, but to become a world-ranked masters swimmer — despite missing most of a lung, her gall bladder, her entire reproductive system, her duodenum, half of her pancreas, part of her stomach, her bile duct and her lymph nodes.
Her secret? “I just put one foot in front of the other,” she says. “I recovered one step at a time. When my clients ask ‘Do I have to exercise?’ I say, ‘Are you crazy? That’s the magic formula. You must exercise.’” Helmrich’s passion for helping others is evident in her tireless work for Swim Across America, a national organization that holds 17 swimming events around the country. “I’m co-director of the San Francisco Swim,” she says. “We jump into the water under the Golden Gate Bridge and swim about a mile and a half into San Francisco, next to the St. Francis Yacht Club.” Last year, the group raised half a million dollars in a single morning, all of which was donated to pediatric cancer research at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital. Helmrich understands better than most that there isn’t a moment to waste — and that every moment is precious. For her, the best way to move forward is to give back — and swimming is a great way to accomplish both. You can contact her at Susan@SwimAcrossAmerica.org.
GB EXTRA Visit GrowingBolderMagazine. com to listen to our recent Growing Bolder Radio conversation with Susan Helmrich to learn more about Swim Across America and to watch a video feature story about her.
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2016
Photo Courtesy of Swim Across America
Susan Helmrich, shown here at the Golden Gate Bridge with husband Richard Levine, heads up the San Francisco Swim, which raises money for cancer research.
ROAD TO RECOVERY
Dr. Robert Masson, shown here on the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro, looks at staying in shape as "an opportunity management plan."
EARN LONgEVITY If You Want to Keep Moving, You Have to Keep Moving. By Robert Masson, M.D.
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iving an active life filled with opportunity and adventure isn’t so much about chronological age. It’s about how you show up. Our mantra, Show Up Strong, is a constant reminder to take care of yourself. If you show up strong, you’re giving yourself the best chance to celebrate your life independent of your chronological age — and the best chance to bounce back quickly and fully from just about any health setback. It’s remarkably normal for our bodies to have failure points decade to decade, as we age. When it comes to minimizing the damage, there’s a bit of paradox in that the more active we are, the more likely it is that we're going to damage our bodies. And yet, the less active we are, the more GROWINGBOLDERMAGAZINE.COM
likely our bodies will fail for lack of regenerative capability, lack of strengthening and inadequate prevention and wellness practices. It all comes down to that old adage of “everything in moderation.” You don’t want to injure yourself while working out when your motivation for working out is to avoid injury. It’s a dilemma that results in many remaining on the couch — and that’s a destination that’s not on my bucket list. I look at staying in shape as an opportunity management plan. You never know when opportunity will present itself, and I want to always be ready. I want to, at the very least, have the option to say “Yes! I’m in.” Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro was a great example of that. I never planned on that adventure, but when it presented itself, I was able do it with impunity because
of my constant state of preparedness. It was a timeless, meaningful experience that enriched my life in many ways — and it wouldn’t have been possible if I hadn’t remained focused on maintaining a certain level of conditioning. The way I look at it, I’m always preparing for something, even if I don’t know what it is. And you should be, too. But maintaining an active and goal-oriented lifestyle during mid- and later life takes focus and commitment. You have to earn it. You have to strategically plan and manage an overall personal health and wellness program. We’re all mortal beings, and this vessel of ours has to be preserved; it has to be protected. If you want to enjoy your passions and discover new passions into your sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth and even tenth decades, you have to put in the work. Staying active and staying fit is the gift that keeps on giving.
GB EXTRA Robert Masson, M.D., is the founder of the NeuroSpine Institute, a contributor to Growing Bolder and the medical director for Team Growing Bolder. Visit GrowingBolderMagazine.com to watch his Road to Recovery Minutes. GROWING BOLDER 9
5 QUESTIONS Diana Nyad, at 64, was already firmly established as one of the greatest long-distance swimmers ever — but she had one major goal still to achieve.
Diana Nyad’s Advice for Living a Life Without Regrets. By JACKIE CARLIN
10 G R O W I N G B O L D E R
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2016
photo by Ranier Hosch
NEVER, EVER GIVE UP
Diana Nyad
was one the world’s greatest long-distance swimmers in the 1970s, but she had an even bigger dream: to become the first person to swim from Cuba to the U.S. without a shark cage. It took her five tries and 35 years, but she achieved that dream in 2013 at the age of 64. Out of the water, she’s been a national sports broadcaster and journalist, a powerful motivational speaker and a bestselling author. Her new memoir is called Find a Way: The Inspiring Story of One Woman’s Pursuit of a Lifelong Dream.
Diana, congratulations again on your achievement! Take us back to your first attempt in 1978. Where did this idea come from, and what happened then?
When I was a kid, in my 20s, I held a number of open-water world records. But Cuba was always bigger than sport for me. Cuba, in my mind, was having to touch every fiber of your potential, dig down to every drop of your courage. It was like the emblem of living life large. At 28, I was brash and cocky. I walked down to the shore and said, “Hey sharks, get out of my way.” And 42 hours later, I was humbled. That’s a vast, dangerous wilderness out there. People had been trying to do it since 1950, and I found out the hard way why nobody had ever made it. So I thought I had to leave that dream behind. What changed? What made you go for it again, much later in life?
When I was 30, like with most world-class athletes, I thought it was time to retire and move on to some other aspect of my life. I worked as a sports broadcaster for all those years. But as I approached 60, my mom died and I kept thinking back to my meeting several years earlier with Christopher Reeve. He had a lot to say about regrets, and not leaving anything behind while you can still do it. I just thought, “You know what, I’m going to go back and I’m going to feel alive, awake and alert. I’m going to chase that big, maybe impossible, dream of mine — Cuba.” GROWINGBOLDERMAGAZINE.COM
You spent several years training before making your second attempt in 2011. Unfortunately, you weren’t able to finish. Two more unsuccessful attempts followed, each time covered by the national media. Did you start to think it was time to give up and find another milestone to chase?
I didn’t, but everybody around me did. I wasn’t approaching this in an immature “I’m going to show you” or “I told you so” way. My teammates, who had been through hell and high water with me, thought if anyone could have made it, it would have been me — but it just couldn’t be done. Mother Nature is raging on steroids across that area with the currents, the sharks, the jellyfish and the eddies. The weather is unpredictable; winds come off Africa from 7,000 miles away, and blow the dust from the Sahara Desert across the north shore of Cuba. It’s just a crazy wilderness out there. I’ll tell you the truth; I never lost faith in it. CNN joked after a while that I was going to be 90, and still trying to do this. On your fifth attempt, you reached Key West on September 2, 2013, after swimming 110 miles in 53 hours. When you stumbled up on the beach, you delivered a heartfelt and totally spontaneous speech to the hundreds gathered on the shore. Can you tell us about that?
In all those long, lonely, grueling hours of training, I admit one of the things I did to take my mind off the grind of it all was to imagine the great oration I would make when I finally made it to that other shore. But it didn’t work out like that. I was dazed emotionally and whipped physically. When I got up there, words just came spilling out. The first were, “Never, ever give up.” And then I said, “You’re never too old to chase your dreams.” I think that’s true of every age. We’re all living on this one-way street. Someday you’ll get to the end — and your goal is to not look back and say, “I should have, I could have, I wish I had.” The way to do that? Don’t believe that age is a limitation. I truly think I’m a better athlete in my 60s than I was in my 20s. What can the rest of us take away from your experiences?
The moral of the tale is, it doesn’t matter what you’re fighting. It might be cancer. Maybe you lost your job, or you’re dealing with a difficult teenager. Or maybe you always said you’d write that great American novel, but you never did and stuffed the dream into the back of a drawer. If you just don’t give up, you will arrive on your own distant shore.
GB EXTRA Visit GrowingBolderMagazine.com to listen to our Growing Bolder Radio conversation with Diana Nyad and learn more about her adventures, including her next big goal. And this time, you’re invited to join her!
G R O W I N G B O L D E R 11
photo by Dewey Nicks
Herb Alpert is the only musician ever to have No. 1 records as both a vocalist and an instrumentalist. He's also helped other legendary artists launch their careers.
12 G R O W I N G B O L D E R
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2016
Top Brass
Herb Albert Says to Live in the Present and Always Take Risks.
BY BILL SHAFER
Alpert says that of his many accomplishments, his most significant reward has been his marriage to singer Lani Hall.
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Arguably Alpert’s greatest reward came in 1974, when he proposed to recording artist Lani Hall. She’s still his wife — and his lead singer — 42 years later. “There’s nothing that makes life more rewarding, more exciting and more fulfilling than being with someone you truly 14 G R O W I N G B O L D E R
love,” he says. “Lani and I have a terrific relationship, on stage and off. We have a great time every time we step on a stage.” Risk-taking played a key role in Alpert’s big career break. In 1962, after losing faith in record labels, he formed A&M records with Jerry Moss. The label, which began
in Alpert’s garage, became one of the most successful artist-owned companies ever created. The first career it launched was Alpert’s own, with his 1962 Top 10 hit “Lonely Bull.” The now-iconic song, credited to Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass, contains SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2016
photo by Louis Oberlander
erb Alpert has always been one of those performers to march to the beat of his own — horn. Never one to follow the well-worn path, he has always chosen to take risks and choose the road less traveled. That can be a lonely journey for a musician. But for Alpert, it has led him into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as the only musician in history to have No. 1 records as both a vocalist and an instrumentalist.
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G R O W I N G B O L D E R 15
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sonally signed The Carpenters, Liza Minelli and Janet Jackson. The risks were paying off — and Alpert began seeking ways to pay his good fortune forward. One way was to form the Herb Alpert Foundation. “The idea came from when we started A&M in 1962,” he says. “We weren’t looking for the beat of the week. We were looking for artists that had something unique to say, such as Cat Stevens, Sting, Quincy Jones and others we supported. Each was on a personal path — and we helped make it possible for them to explore their own creativity.” Following that same philosophy, the foundation has given more than $100 million to
music education and artist development. “I just believe in the arts,” Alpert says. “They’re so important to our society. And, in addition to new artists, we’re doing our best to seek out artists in mid-career who are exploring the road less traveled.” Over Alpert’s career, he’s earned nine Grammys and sold more than 72 million records. And here’s the most important lesson he’s earned: “I think following your passion is the key to life; every single morning, the first thing I do is think about sculpting, painting and blowing the horn.” Yes, Alpert listed “sculpting” and “painting” among his passions. “I’ve been painting for over 45 years and sculpting for SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2016
photo by Dewey Nicks
clues as to how cost-conscious the fledgling label had to be. “Everybody thinks we used a full horn section on that song,” Alpert says. “But we couldn’t afford that. So I played all of the trumpet parts on multitrack myself.” In fact, there was no Tijuana Brass — at least not for three more years, when the demand to hear the group in concert became so great that Alpert held auditions to hire more musicians. It worked. In 1966, Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass outsold The Beatles, and became the only band ever to have five albums simultaneously in the Top 20. Meanwhile, at A&M Records, Alpert per-
Alpert continues to record, with a new album, Human Nature, out this year. Meanwhile, 25 of his older albums have been remastered and re-released.
maybe 35,” he says. “I just enjoy it. I was just doing it for my own pleasure at first. Then, little by little, people became more and more interested, and galleries wanted to show my work.” Still, Alpert will be instantly and forever associated with his music. It’s been a long journey since the ’60s and ’70s, when his records were topping the charts. Yet today he remains as fresh, energetic and innovative as he’s ever been. At 81, he’s still gigging, still creating and still delighting audiences. “Actually, I’m having as much fun playing now as I did at any time in my career,” he says. “I just love to make music.” GROWINGBOLDERMAGAZINE.COM
Alpert says the challenge of artistic expression keeps him mentally sharp and excited about the future. “That’s the way it is being a musician,” he notes. “You never get to that place where you say, ‘That’s it. I’ve got it covered.’ That’s the beauty of the art world, too. You never really arrive. You just keep on striving.” There are two types of musicians, Alpert believes: “There are those who simply play the right stuff. They play in tune, and they make use of all the new technical gadgets and processes. And there are those who are on a never-ending search to find the right stuff. They’re experimenting, going a little left of center and taking chances. That’s
the kind of artist I’ve always wanted to be.” Adds Alpert: “I’m a lucky guy. I get to do what I feel is right for me. I don’t really feel old or young. We’re all striving to live in the moment, and that’s a great place to be. Don’t long for the past. Don’t fear the future. Just think about what’s happening right now. There’s no better time than the present.”
GB EXTRA Visit GrowingBolderMagazine.com to listen to our Growing Bolder Radio conversation with Herb Alpert and to watch a video of previous Herb Alpert Foundation Award recipients explaining how the awards keep the arts alive. G R O W I N G B O L D E R 17
GROWING BOLDER FINANCIAL INSTITUTE
Jeannette Bajalia, founder of Woman's Worth, says women face particular challenges when planning for their financial futures.
WOMAN'S WORTH The Real Risk of Outliving Your Money.
By Jeannette Bajalia, Founder and PRESIDENT, WOMAN'S Worth
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omen may face three major factors that can plunge them into financial crisis. The first is longevity. Women outlive their spouses, on average, by 8 to 12 years. The second is divorce. More couples than ever in the 60plus demographic are deciding to end their marriages. And the third is widowhood. In America, the average age of women whose spouses have died is just 57. It’s critically important to not only acknowledge these three possibilities in our own lives, but also to plan for them and to understand how they’re conspiring to redefine retirement planning for women. Most of us thought we’d retire at 62 and be dead at 82. But that’s not what’s happening. The fastest-growing segment of the U.S. population is now 90-plus. That has the potential be either great news or tragic news. We have to plan to live well 18 G R O W I N G B O L D E R
beyond 90; it doesn’t happen on its own. In fact, we now have an alarming number of women 70 and older who have had to return to the workplace simply to make ends meet. It breaks my heart to see so much fear and desperation — which is why it’s become my personal mission to help women with life planning. When done properly, this involves not just financial planning, but also tax planning, healthcare planning and legal planning. Not paying attention to all four of these disciplines can have disastrous results. But the good news is, focusing on all four properly can ensure that the rest of your life can become the best of your life. The Growing Bolder Financial Institute is being created to share many of the tools and techniques that differentiate Woman’s Worth from the rest of the financial planning industry. We don’t focus only on the finances.
When it comes to successful retirement planning, it’s more than the money. It’s about total well-being. It’s about working together to create a customized, integrated plan for each individual. For now, I’ll leave you with the most basic — but most important — tip of all: the best way, and in many cases the only way, to hold on to your wealth is to hold on to your health. The costs for routine and long-term healthcare are exploding, and will continue to increase as we age. Most women have spent a lifetime focused on the needs of others: their spouses, their kids, their grandkids and their parents. In many cases, we’ve sacrificed our own well-being — and that sacrifice has come at a cost. Now is the time to take care of your physical, mental and emotional health. The best investment you can make is in self-care. Jeannette Bajalia is founder and president of Woman's Worth® and president of Petros Estate and Retirement Planning. Jeannette retired at 55 after a successful career as a corporate executive to become one the nation’s leading experts on the unique financial planning needs of women. For more information go to womans-worth.com. You can reach Jeannette at: jeannette@womans-worth.com. SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2016
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G R O W I N G B O L D E R 19
BOLDER HEALTH Dr. Martin Klapheke and his colleagues train doctors of tomorrow on the danger of opioid dependence and its relationship to the heroin epidemic.
addiction crisis How Opioid Dependence Worsened the Heroin Epidemic. BY JACKIE CARLIN
E
arlier this year, beloved entertainer Prince died at 57 from an accidental overdose of the prescription drug fentanyl. While his death stunned his fans worldwide, medical professionals weren’t surprised to see yet another person gone too soon from this ever-growing epidemic. “We have a public health crisis now with these addictions, with a four-fold increase in the number of deaths from prescription opioid medications,” says Martin Klapheke, M.D., a psychiatrist and the assistant dean for medical education at the UCF College of Medicine. Klapheke says that for decades, doctors have relied upon opioids such as morphine, oxycontin, fentanyl, methadone and hydrocodone to treat patients’ pain. “Until recently, we just didn’t have a 20 G R O W I N G B O L D E R
lot of other tools in the toolbox,” he says. “When all you have is a hammer, all your problems start to look like a nail. If you add to that the fact that doctors weren’t fully aware of some of the potential downfalls of these medications, you start to see where it’s a setup for a significant problem.” Prescription drug addiction has led to an even more serious health crisis: skyrocketing rates of heroin use. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that heroin use increased by 63 percent between 2002 and 2013 — and heroin-related overdose deaths have quadrupled over the same time period. Addicts aren’t necessarily who you’d think they are. Heroin use has spread to every demographic group, with some of the highest growth rates among women, the upper middle class and those over 50.
The CDC says addiction to prescription painkillers is fueling most of the rise in heroin use. People who are addicted to pills are switching to heroin because it’s cheaper, doesn’t require a prescription and offers a similar high. “We’re all vulnerable to becoming addicted, to some degree, and it happens gradually, almost imperceptibly,” Klapheke says. “It’s a terrible crisis right now, but I feel hopeful we can do something about it. Part of the solution is through education of the doctors and the public.” At the UCF College of Medicine, Klapheke and his colleagues are training the doctors of tomorrow to be aware of this growing epidemic. He applauds new CDC guidelines that he believes will help educate doctors across the country, thereby benefitting the long-term health of patients. “The new CDC guidelines say we should probably limit use of these strong prescriptions for acute pain to three days or less and only rarely more than seven days,” he says. For patients who suffer from chronic pain, he adds, the agency is sharing evidence-based findings to help guide doctors on when to use opioids and when to use alternatives, such as physical exercise therapy and cognitive behavior therapies. “It’s a wonderful change,” Klapheke adds. “A large number of medical schools, including UCF, have signed up and are training students with the very latest knowledge.” In fact, the UCF College of Medicine was one of 60 medical schools recently recognized by the White House for pledging to teach medical students about the dangers of prescribing opioids to patients for pain. If you think you or a loved one may be addicted to a prescription medication, Klapheke urges you to talk to your doctor. “If you’re worried about a loved one, share your concerns and strongly encourage him or her to talk to their doctor,” he says. If appropriate, he adds, offer to come along to the appointment and ask the doctor for a referral to a substance abuse treatment center. That way, both the pain and the substance abuse can be successfully treated.
GB EXTRA Visit GrowingBolderMagazine.com to listen to our conversation with Dr. Martin Klapheke and learn more about the heroin and prescription drug addiction epidemic. He shares more specifics about the future of treating and managing pain. SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2016
We Practice What We Teach. We are UCF Health
Mariana Dangiolo, M.D. Family Medicine & Geriatrics
UCF
Health
College of Medicine Practice
As UCF College of Medicine physicians, scientists and teachers, we’re discovering innovative solutions to today’s medical challenges. And at UCF Health, we bring these advancements to you.
LAKE NONA MEDICAL CITY
Schedule an appointment at 407-266-DOCS or UCFHealth.com
UNIVERSITY BLVD. EAST ORLANDO
Dr. Eugene L. Jewett, founder of Jewett Orthopaedic Clinic.
80 Years of Innovation Jewett Orthopaedic Clinic’s Commitment to Community and Excellence.
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his year, Jewett Orthopaedic Clinic celebrates 80 years of innovation and service to our Central Florida community. Recognized worldwide as a leader in high-quality personalized orthopaedic care, Jewett Clinic is a true destination medical practice, treating more than 150,000 patients every year. The Jewett Clinic began as a vision of its founder, Dr. Eugene L. Jewett. His insistence that “the patient comes first” has been reflected by the Clinic throughout its history. “We’re a family treating families,” explains Dr. Craig Mintzer, Jewett Orthopaedic Surgeon and Head Team Physician for the Orlando Magic. “That’s how we look at it. We’ve served generations of families in this community. They trust us to provide them with the very best, and we want to be here to do just that for generations to come.” Eugene Jewett was born in Fredonia, N.Y., on April 11, 1900. He studied chemistry and engineering at Cornell before graduating from Harvard Medical School. After struggling with arthritis, Dr. Jewett and his wife, Ruth, who was also a physician, moved to Florida and opened an Orlando office in 1936. “Dr. Gene” didn’t wait for patients to come to him. He grabbed his medical bag, put a portable X-ray machine in the trunk of his car and traversed the state treating those who couldn’t travel. When an elderly patient suffered a fracture in her back,
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Dr. Jewett feared she wouldn’t survive being bedridden for months in a heavy plaster body cast — the standard treatment of the day. So he invented and patented an alternative. “He brought out a lightweight metal brace that did the same thing and was able to free people of the burden of having to wear these terrible, heavy, hot, miserable stinky casts,” says former Jewett President Dr. John W. McCutchen. The Jewett Hyperextension Back Brace, still widely used today, revolutionized the treatment of spine fractures worldwide by allowing patients to be up and about in just a few days. Dr. Jewett proved to be a business innovator as well. In 1950, he began hiring other physicians, creating a rare specialized orthopaedic group practice. That same year, he demonstrated his dedication to the community. He and Dr. Ruth Jewett gave $150,000 to start Winter Park Hospital in 1950. In the decades that followed, the practice expanded as accomplished orthopaedic surgeons moved to Orlando, anxious to work with the legendary founder and to take advantage of the opportunity he provided — the time, freedom and resources to innovate. Today, 28 physicians and more than 250 employees across 10 locations and three walk-in clinics strive every day to bring the most innovative and quality care to patients. As the Jewett Clinic’s reputation for excellence and innovation grew, so did the demand for its services. Jewett became the official team physicians for the NBA’s Orlando Magic, the University of Central Florida Knights, the Rollins College Tars, the Orlando Solar Bears, the Orlando Ballet, Cirque Du Soleil and many area high schools. “Not only is Jewett Orthopaedic Clinic the best orthopaedic group here in Central Florida, we think they’re the best orthopaedic group throughout the NBA,” says Orlando Magic CEO Alex Martins. Dr. Eugene Jewett died in 1987 at the age of 87, leaving behind a dynamic practice, an incredible work ethic, a commitment to the community and a desire to be a leader in the field. That spirit of innovation continues today, with Jewett’s next big leap forward with minimally invasive and outpatient procedures and the revolutionary MAKOplasty robotic-arm assisted technology, which provides patients with a personalized surgical plan for total hip replacement or partial knee replacement based on their unique anatomies. “For almost 80 years, Dr. Jewett’s innovative spirit has guided us to always think of how we can enhance the care we provide our patients,” says Dr. Mintzer. SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2016
MEET OUR PHYSICIANS MICHAEL JABLONSKI, MD
BRIAN K. BARNARD, MD
PRESIDENT, Arthroscopic
& Reconstructive Surgery of the Knee & Shoulder, Sports Medicine
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Surgery of the Hand
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Reconstructive Surgery of the Knee, Sports Medicine
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Arthroscopic & Sports Medicine; Reconstructive Surgery of the Knee & Shoulder
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WADIH S. MACKSOUD, MS Surgery of the Hand, Elbow & Shoulder
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Surgery of the Spine
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SEAN MCFADDEN, DO Surgery of the Knee & Shoulder; Sports Medicine
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Sports Medicine, Knee & Ankle Surgery
LUIS A. GANDARA, MD Primary Care Sports Medicine & Electrodiagnosis
PHILIP MEINHARDT, MD Surgery of the Spine
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General Orthopaedics, Knee Care, Sports Medicine, Joint Replacement
KURT A. GASNER, MD
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SURGERY OF THE HIP AND KNEE; SPORTS MEDICINE, ARTHROSCOPIC
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ARTHROSCOPIC AND RECONSTRUCTIVE SURGERY OF THE KNEE AND GENERAL ORTHOPAEDICS
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JANET M. ROBISON, MD
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RANDALL T. RUST, MD
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REGINALD L. TALL, MD Surgery of the Spine
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General Orthopaedics, Shoulder Specialist, Joint Replacement, Hand Specialist
COLLEEN M. ZITTEL, MD
Rehabilitation Medicine & Electrodiagnosis
PAUL J. MALUSO, MD
General Orthopaedics, Knee Care, Shoulder Care, Sports Medicine, Joint Replacement
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TT ORTHOPAED WE IC JE
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YE
ARS
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ON
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JEWETT ORTHOPAEDIC CLINIC I Book your next online appointment at www.jewettortho.com
NEVER TOO LATE
The Captain & Tennille (inset) were among the bigest hitmakers of the '70s. Today, on her own, Toni Tennille says she's happy and optimistic.
NO MORE CAPTAIN Why Toni Tennille Had to Leave Him to Find Happiness. By BILL SHAFER
Y
ou’d think that after chart-topping hits, gold records, Grammys and countless performances all over the world, that the Captain & Tennille would be virtually inseparable. Songs like “Shop Around,” “Muskrat Love” and “The Way I Want to Touch You” launched the couple into stardom in the late 1970s. The Captain & Tennille, after all, sang about how “Love Will Keep Us Together.” And it did for a very long time. But Toni Tennille shocked the music world recently when she announced that after 39 years of marriage, she and the Captain, Daryl Dragon, had divorced. Yet, unlike many others involved in contentious, destructive and debilitating celebrity breakups, Tennille, at 75, has emerged exuberant, reflective and optimistic about her future. She says she had no choice but to leave
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her husband: “You know, I had to save myself for the last 15 or 20 years of potentially good health. I just want to experience happiness and joy, and I couldn’t with Daryl. I thought I could fix him. I couldn’t.” Tennille’s is a sentiment that isn’t uncommon. There are more people over 50 living alone than ever before. Bowling Green’s National Center for Family & Marriage Research shows that the divorce rate for 55- to 64-yearolds has more than doubled since 2000, while divorces for the over-65 crowd has tripled. That’s why she chose to write about her marital breakup in an autobiography, Toni Tennille: A Memoir. “I just want people to know you don’t have to stay in a broken relationship like I did, and that no matter how long you’ve tried to make things work, it’s never too late to get away and to step out into the sunshine,” she says. “Of course, the question is, ‘Why did I stay so long in the first place?’ I really don’t
know. I’m stubborn, I’m loyal and again, I kept thinking I could fix him.” But what was it that she kept trying to fix? “Daryl was raised by a very stern, cold father,” she explains. “Nothing Daryl did was ever good enough for his dad, so he began to suppress his emotions and never learned how express them.” As a result, Tennille says, she never experienced many of life’s most precious moments. “I missed out on the kind of love where two people walk along, hold hands, or sit and watch TV together eating popcorn,” she says. “He was never that kind of a guy. Ever. And I missed out on so many other wonderful things.” She’s quick to point out that it’s not a question of blame, fault or finger-pointing. “I don’t understand people who jump to the conclusion that there has to be a bad guy,” she says. “Daryl is who he is, I am who I am, and we just couldn’t be together anymore. But we’ll be close forever. We still talk every week — and we sure did make some great music together.”
GB EXTRA Visit GrowingBolderMagazine.com to watch our video story on Toni Tennille and learn more about her legendary career and about her thoughts for her next act in life. SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2016
Explore Your New Active Adult Lifestyle and the Next Phase of Your Life! Call today to set up your appointment 866-671-3330. Ask about our Explore Del Webb program and Quick Move-In Homes!
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Visit delwebb.com/DWO to find out more. Prices shown are estimated base prices, do not include lot premiums or options and are subject to change without notice. Community Association fees required. Square footage of clubhouse is approximate. Model homes are subject to prior sale and may be withdrawn from market at any time. Select furnishings within model homes are available for purchase for cash along with home, see a sales consultant for details on available furnishings. At Del Webb communities, at least one resident must be 55 years of age or older, no one under 19 (18 in certain communities) in permanent residence, and additional restrictions apply. Some residents may be younger than 55. This material shall not constitute a valid offer in any state where prior registration is required or if void by law. Additional terms, conditions and restrictions apply. Contact a sales consultant for details. CGC1515415. ©2016 Pulte Home Corporation. All rights reserved. 7/27/16
REBRANDING AGING ™ At 60, Sela Ward is an actress who celebrates the wisdom that comes with age.
FEARLESS AGING Sela Ward Is Confident and Courageous at 60. BY JACKIE CARLIN
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t Growing Bolder, we’re Rebranding Aging™. We want everyone to stop living a life of limits; stop telling yourself you’re too old to live your dreams or to make a difference. For far too long, we’ve been brainwashed about what’s possible as we age. It’s time to change the way the world views life in our 60s, 70s, 80s and beyond — and that change starts with you. One place notorious for this old-fashioned view of aging is Hollywood. With roles of substance for older actresses few and far between, the entertainment indus26 G R O W I N G B O L D E R
try seems an unlikely place to find fearless actresses proud to declare their age. As she celebrates her 60th birthday, Sela Ward is no longer afraid. Ward has been a beloved fixture on TV and in films for decades, starring in two critically acclaimed TV series, Sisters and Once and Again, earning her Emmy and Golden Globe awards. She has also appeared in major motion pictures, including The Fugitive, The Day After Tomorrow, Gone Girl and this past summer's big-screen sci-fi spectacular, Independence Day: Resurgence. Ward had her own awakening about ageism when she was just 38, auditioning
for a role in a James Bond film. Producers told her that they were looking for the Sela Ward of 10 years ago. Instead of getting angry, Ward got creative, producing and hosting a TV movie for Lifetime called The Changing Face of Beauty, which examined our culture’s obsession with youth and the effect it has on women. Ward says that today, she couldn’t be more excited to turn 60. In part, that’s because growing older has brought with it a new sense of confidence. As a younger woman, she says, she was at times fearful about interacting with people and about her career. Today, she adds, few things scare her. “Out in life, fear can really halt you in your tracks. It’s a sly trickster. I’m grateful to no longer feel that fear,” Ward notes. “That’s what age gives you — the wisdom and perspective on life that you don’t have when you’re younger.” She says another secret to feeling fulfilled is making a difference. In 1997, she launched the Hope Village for Children to address the needs of neglected and abused children in her home state of Mississippi. “Purpose is very important to my life,” Ward says. “At the end of the day, all of this Hollywood stuff is pretty meaningless. What really matters to me is giving back, hopefully in a way that can alter the course of another human being’s life.” Adds Ward, slipping into her Mississippi accent: “Any time I’m able to improve the quality of someone’s life, oh my Lord, that’s what we’re here for.” The former art major, who says she needs to paint often to satisfy her soul, urges everyone to find a passion or purpose in their life. “When you talk about living a bolder life and staying young as you age, for me, it’s really all about passions,” Ward says. “What can occupy you for hours on end? Hopefully that passionate spark in us never dies. It keeps us young, interested, moving forward. I think that’s the big secret for the human condition.”
GB EXTRA Visit GrowingBolderMagazine.com to listen to our conversation with Sela Ward and to learn more about how she learned to trust herself throughout her career, including the story of a talent agent who tried to sabotage her first big film. SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2016
GROWING BOLDER AWARDS
TELL US WHO HAS INSPIRED YOU
G
We're Seeking Nominees Who Truly Define ‘Growing Bolder.’
et Ready for The 2016 Central Florida Growing Bolder Awards, presented by the Senior Resource Alliance and the Winter Park Health Foundation. We’re honoring the men and women who are redefining life at 60, 70, 80, 90 and beyond. We want to recognize those who, by their example, are transform-
ing lives. Do you know someone who by his or her example is changing the way you imagine your future? Anyone you consider an inspirational Rock Star of Aging® is eligible! Award categories include: Intergenerational, Business/Entre-
preneur, Volunteerism, The Arts, Late Bloomers, Caregivers and Advocates, Change Makers, Geriathletes™, Lifelong Learning, Tech Whiz, Adventurous Spirit, Social Butterfly and more! To nominate someone for an award, or to learn how you or your company can attend, support, or even sponsor an award, go to GrowingBolderAwards.com. The First Annual 2016 Central Florida Growing Bolder Awards will be a multimedia extravaganza on the morning of Dec. 8 at the state-of-the-art Full Sail Live. The exact time will be announced later. Join us, and forget everything you’ve heard about aging and start believing in what’s possible.
“Newshour does an excellent job of bringing the news from the world straight to you in a calm, informative, detailed manner. That’s my news source of choice.” – BBC listener
Newshour is the award-winning flagship radio program of the BBC World Service, the world’s largest newsgathering operation. Clear, rigorous, well-paced and live, Newshour brings BBC’s unmatched reporting from all around the globe right to you. Host Julian Marshall
Tune in for Newshour at 3 p.m. Monday-Thursday on PUBLIC RADIO FOR ALL OF CENTRAL FLORIDA | On air, online, on mobile and in the community | Visit wmfe.org GROWINGBOLDERMAGAZINE.COM
G R O W I N G B O L D E R 27
SURVIVING & THRIVING ®
Despite multiple health challenges, NFL great Reggie Williams has continued to overcome the odds.
WILLING WARRIOR Reggie Williams and the Power of Persistence. BY MARC MIDDLETON
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he last time we caught up with former NFL great Reggie Williams, he was just days away from achieving his dream of running for the first time in 10 years on a leg that doctors said should have been amputated. He had overcome 24 operations and multiple life-threatening infections that left his right leg nearly four inches shorter than his left. Yet he wasn’t just going to run — he was going to do it in front of the fans that he loved. “I was finally going to have an opportunity to go back to Cincinnati in front of the Bengals before a big game,” Williams tells Growing Bolder. The date was set and he was ready. But then disaster struck. “I’ve known pain in my life,” says Williams, a legendary linebacker who played on two Super Bowl teams. “This wasn’t pain. This was something gone terribly wrong.” He was rushed to the hospital, where doctors diagnosed an aortic dissection — a major tear in the large blood vessel that carries blood out of the heart. “Normally, when that happens, you have a 99 percent chance of dying within 24 hours,” Williams says. However, he defied the odds and survived
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emergency surgery. He was slowly regaining his strength, when disaster struck again. “All of a sudden my right arm started floating up and moving on its own,” Williams says. “I was like, ‘What’s going on here?’ I noticed that my speech was beginning to slur, and I realized that I was in trouble again. I was having a stroke.” Williams was once again rushed to the hospital — and by the time he arrived, he couldn’t speak a single word. “I couldn’t give my phone number; I couldn’t give the name of anyone in my family,” he says. “It was very scary.” He was in the hospital for five days. Medication dissolved the blood clots in his brain, but it took months of difficult therapy for him to regain the ability to speak. Williams, 62, hopes his major health scares are now behind him. But he acknowledges that 14 years as one of the NFL’s hardest hitting linebackers makes him a likely candidate for chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). That’s the progressive, degenerative brain disease found in athletes with a history of repetitive brain trauma. “I would bet that I will have CTE,” he says matter-of-factly. “Many of the things that we did every day have been outlawed
now. We could head slap, clothesline and horse collar. We could hit high and low. We could even blindside hit.” Adds Williams: “Practice is where you honed those skills. So there were concussions on a regular basis. There were many players who never even made it out of practice.” Williams believes that he has an obligation to his NFL brethren to not only delay or prevent CTE, but to successfully live with it should he be diagnosed. “The questions are, ‘What am I doing, or what have I done, in my daily lifestyle to avoid negative impact? And what additional things can I do to pre-rehab for the probability of more brain damage?’ I’ve been through the mill, through the gauntlet — and I’d like to help shed light on how to optimize your ability to survive it.” Despite his aortic dissection, his stroke and growing concerns about CTE, Williams is focusing once again on his dream of running onto a football field. During our interview, he spontaneously decides to attempt his first few strides in more than 11 years. “I might take two steps. I might take four steps,” he says. “There has to be that day that you actually do it — and this might be that day.” His first attempt is a failure. He stumbles forward, nearly doing a faceplant. But he’s not discouraged, even for a second. He adjusts his technique and tries again. This time, he takes one, two, three, four, five, six strides — at a pace he hasn’t achieved in more than a decade. He lets out a triumphant grunt and pumps his fist into the air. Accomplishing this milestone seems to thrill Williams as much as sacking Joe Montana in the backfield, as he did in his prime. Nonetheless, he’s literally taking it one step at a time. “I still have the dream of running on to the football field,” he says. “But the dream of staying alive is obviously greater, so I’m going to take it slowly.” Williams is a man who has defied the odds his entire life. And, despite the prospect of another major battle ahead, he remains optimistic; a willing warrior, ready for whatever life throws his way.
GB EXTRA Visit GrowingBolderMagazine.com to watch our video feature on Reggie Williams and watch him take those first incredible running steps. He’ll also reflect on his long and life-changing friendship with Muhammad Ali.
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2016
BOLDER EXPERTS
Great T
If this sounds like you, it’s time to liberate yourself from your oversized home and go from “tied down” to “down time!” Here’s how: ®
Commit to more freedom and less hassle by opting to downsize.
HOME OR ANCHOR?
Bring in a Senior Real Estate Specialist who’ll advise you on improvements to sell the house in the least amount of time, and for the most money.
Going from ‘Tied Down’ to ‘Down Time.’
Enjoy your road trip!
BY PAUL AND LYN HENDERSON
There are plenty of low-maintenance living options today, including condos, townhomes and even single-family homes in neighborhoods with community lawn service! What could you do with all the extra time you’ll have when you’re not dusting empty rooms?
I
n my youth, summer meant road trips! Our family would hit the road to visit national parks, amusement parks, the beach and enjoy the freedom of being far away from the norm. These days, things are different. A road trip now usually means a visit to the local home-improvement store. We spend a lot of our spare time on upkeep around the house. It took us years of hard work and sacrifice to be able to afford a large home in a safe neighborhood. At the time it was a great choice. Now, it’s like an anchor holding us back. It’s full of rooms we no longer use. We don’t want empty rooms. We want a road trip.
Paul and Lyn Henderson hold SRES® certifications and are the founders of GreatTRANSITIONS®. The Hendersons developed this concept from more than 25 years of personal and professional experiences. The program is designed to help people transition to the next place they call home. For more information and to hear their radio segments visit www.Great-Transitions.com.
I deserve care that never takes a day off. As Richard’s symptoms became more difficult for his family to manage, they needed support that lasted through the weekend. Fortunately, Cornerstone’s seven-day case management model allowed us to stay in his corner every day of the week. Unlike hospices with a five-day model, we know how important it is to a family’s peace-of-mind that we diligently maintain their loved one’s care. Richard’s end-of-life needs don’t go off the clock. Neither do we.
866.742.6655 // cornerstonehospice.org Cornerstone is committed to caring for all hospice patients regardless of payer source or ability to pay. 100% covered by Medicare & Medicaid
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G R O W I N G B O L D E R 29
THE TAKEAWAY
LESLEY STAHL
I
Truly, Madly, Deeply Loving Grandchildren.
don’t just like being a grandparent; as my granddaughter would say, I love it. After thinking those days were over, I’ve fallen madly in love with my granddaughters. And I’m not alone. For my new book, Becoming Grandma, I interviewed grandparents around the world, and discovered that we all fall deeply, emotionally, joyously, helplessly in love. Because these feelings are so universal, I suspected something deep within us, perhaps something biochemical, happens when we become grandparents. My hunch was right. I discovered that when we hold our grandchildren, we start secreting what experts call a bonding hormone, which rewires our brains. And strangely — and amusingly — one of the things that happens is our ability to say the word “no” is disabled! In the process, we all, automatically, turn into these indulgent mushballs. We may have been strict parents, but boy, we’re such pushovers with these grandkids. Among ourselves, all grandparents joke, “What happened to us?” These feelings aren’t exclusive to biological grandparents. If step-grandparents or surrogate grandparents are in the picture when grandchild is born, they feel the exact same connection and feelings of falling of love as the rest of us. The title of my book may say “Grandma,” but I also know many grandfathers, including my husband, who experience these same feelings of love and devotion. Sadly, not every grandparent gets to experience these relationships. During my interviews for the book, I heard heartbreaking stories of the many grandparents who never see their grandchildren — because they’re not allowed to, or their visits are rationed. It hurt me to hear these stories.
Thankfully, for the vast majority of us, we’re so transformed by these kids that there’s a huge trend going on. After retiring, more and more people are picking up, selling the homes they’ve lived in for decades and moving to wherever their grandchildren are so that they can be in their lives. There’s no question that technology is a game-changer for grandparents. I live across the country from my grandchildren, but I’m still in their lives in a very visual way. Little kids have trouble communicating over the phone, but with new video technologies like FaceTime and Skype, you can hold face-to-face connections. And, if your own kids are patient enough, they can turn their phones or computers around and let you watch the grandkids playing. As they’ve done with so many things, Baby Boomers are reinventing grandparenthood. We’re relatively young grandparents, and we’re a little more involved with taking care of the grandkids. We do more active things, like take the kids to the park. It’s funny; I used to hate doing that with my own kids, but for some reason, I don’t mind at all with my grandkids! Our generation is also spending much more money on grandchildren. In fact, we spend seven times more today than grandparents of just 10 years ago spent. And we’re not just buying toys and clothes. Many grandparents are picking up big-ticket items, including things like the crib, car seats, medical bills, education, braces and so much more. People say all the time that it’s the best thing in the world to be a grandparent. But you can’t fully understand the depths of those feelings until it happens to you. For the vast majority of us, we’re fundamentally transformed in the best possible ways.
Longtime CBS News journalist Lesley Stahl is one of the most respected reporters of all time. Her credentials are impeccable, from being the White House correspondent during the administrations of Presidents Carter, Reagan and George H. W. Bush to serving as moderator of Face the Nation for nearly a decade. Over the past 25 years, she’s won 11 Emmys for her hard-hitting reports on the newsmagazine 60 Minutes. Her book, Becoming Grandma: The Joys and Science of the New Grand parenting, examines the joyous emotions she’s discovered in other grandparents. 30 G R O W I N G B O L D E R
GB EXTRA Visit GrowingBolderMagazine. com to listen to our conversation with Lesley Stahl and learn more about the new grandparenting.
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2016
photo by Dave Lauridson
We all, automatically turn into these indulgent mushballs.
DON’T MISS
THE BOAT ON PADDLING
FUN TRY
DRAGON BOAT RACING • No experience necessary
ALL HANDS ON DECK
• Ages 12 and up, all fitness levels welcome
OCT. 15. 2016
• Festival village offers entertainment, food and drink for children and spectators
Turkey Lake at Bill Frederick Park
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